Weingut Knoll, Loibner Ried Kreutles Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2022 - 75cl

Weingut Knoll works out of the Loibnerhof in Unterloiben, on the terraces above the Danube, and the family has a reputation in the Wachau that borders on reverence. The label has not changed in decades. Neither, as far as anyone can tell, has the standard.

Smaragd is the top rung of the Vinea Wachau classification — dry, fully ripe, minimum 12.5% alcohol, named after the emerald green lizard that suns itself on the terrace walls. Ried Kreutles is a single vineyard, south-facing, and unusually for the region it sits on loess rather than the hard primary rock of the steeper sites. Loess holds water, and in a warm year that reservoir is what keeps the wine fresh instead of blowsy.

The result is a Grüner Veltliner at its most generous, almost exotic. Ginger spice arrives first, then pineapple and lemongrass — not the peppery, lentil-and-radish style of the grape but its riper, more tropical face. The palate follows with juicy apricot and red apple, and the acidity is crisp enough to hold the whole thing in shape. The texture is what marks it out: silky, with a long concentrated core that keeps going well after you expect it to stop. Classic Wachau, and at £33 a serious wine at a sane price.

How to Serve

10-12°C. Too cold and you lose the ginger and the exotic fruit entirely — this is not a wine for the back of the fridge. Use a proper white wine glass with some bowl to it. It is drinking well now and will improve for another five to eight years.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot, which treats Austrian wine with the seriousness it deserves. The Wolseley for schnitzel and a glass of this. Planque in Haggerston.

Food Pairings

Roast pork with crackling — the classic Wachau answer, and the acidity handles the fat. Also very good with anything asparagus, one of the few grapes that manages it, or a whole roast chicken with plenty of herbs.